Roberta Metsola says deal on EU immigration pact must be a priority in meeting with Greek PM

European Parliament Vice President Roberta Metsola says agreement on an immigration pact must be a priority in a meeting with the Greek prime minister.

The informal meeting in Athens with Kyriakos Mitsotakis comes as the push for a breakthrough on a migration deal intensifies.

It also comes at a time when European governments are wary of an increase in refugees from Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover.

Metsola and Mitsotakis discussed the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and underlined the need for global and European actors to work together with the UN to find solutions that enable people fleeing Afghanistan to seek protection in the region.

“What we are witnessing in Afghanistan is an unfolding tragedy. We need solidarity and we should be able to have a system where people fleeing can also seek protection closer to their home,” Metsola said.

But Metsola also underlined the need for a coherent approach to asylum and migration within the EU.

“My point remains that migration is a challenge that cannot be left to member states like Greece or Malta or Italy to deal with – it is a shared European and global challenge and must become a shared responsibility,” she said.

Metsola insisted that approval of the Immigration Pact as soon as possible was a priority.

“The Pact is rooted in our values and balances the protection of external borders and the expression of solidarity on a tangible basis, so that the different approaches between different countries can be bridged,” she said.

The European Parliament will continue to call for agreement on a clear European approach to migration that balances responsibility on these issues, Metsola said. “We will keep calling for agreement in Europe on a deal that is fair with those in need of protection, firm with those who are not eligible and strong with those trafficking networks that seek to exploit the vulnerable and the desperate.”

She said migration is a human struggle and must be met with a humane response.

Earlier, Metsola visited the Eleonas Centre, outside Athens. During her visit, she said that “finding a European way forward on migration, means that we need to understand the conditions on the ground in front-line Member States like Greece, Malta and Italy, and to appreciate what they are dealing with”.